Fastener plate feeding mechanism



May 17, 1932. M. M. LYONS FASTENER PLATE FEEDING MECHANISM Filed Aug. 27. 1926 s Sheets-Sheet 1 May 17, 1932.

' M. LYONS FASTENER PLATE FEEDING MECHANISM Filed Aug. 27. 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 May 17, 1932. I

M. M. LYONS FASTENER PLATE FEEDING MECHANISM Filed Aug'. 27; 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented May 17, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT oFr-ucF.

MICHAEL M. LYONS, F DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOB, BY ASSIGNEENTS, 'I'O UNITED-CARR FASTENER CORPORATION, OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, A. COR- PORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS FASTENER PLATE FEEDING- HECH ANISM Application filed August 27,. 1926. Serial 1W0. 181,902.

. which pass through the curtain and are clinched upon a plate of suitable shape, this plate usually being known as the back plate. Each back plate has a hole for the passage of the stud and this hole usually ismade nearer one end than the other. Furthermore, the plates have indentations in one face thereof to accommodate certain projections on the socket member. In deliverlng these plates to a setting mechanism, therefore, it is important that they be presented to said mechanism right side up and right end foremost. To devise an automatic mechanism for performing this function constitutes the chief object of this invention, it being understood that the invention is not limited in its application to a machine for feeding the par ticular fastener plates shown.

The nature of the invention will be readily understood from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, and the novel features will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a plan view of a hopper and raceway of a mechanism embodying this invention with the bowl of the hopper removed and certain of the parts broken away to show the construction more clearly;

Figs. 2 and 3 are plan and cross-sectional views, respectively, of a back plate which this mechanism is designed especially to handle;

. Fig. 4 is a vertical, cross-sectional view through the hopper shown in Fig. 1; Figs. 5 and 6 are cross-sectional views on the lines 55 and 66, respectively, Fig. 1;

Figs. 7 and 8 are cross-sectional views through a portion of the hopper bottom showing entrances to guideways through which the fastener plates escape from the hopper and illustrating the manner in which these guideways prevent the passage of plates which are wrong side up;

Figs. 9 and 10 are cross-sectional views similar to Fig. 6 but on a larger scale, and illustrate the construction of the guideway whereby fastener plates are permitted to pass out of the hopper only when they are right end foremost.

Referring first to Figs. 2 and 3 which show the fastener plates which this machine is especially designed to handle, it will be observed that each of these plates 2 has lugs or projections 3 extending from one face thereof, and also has a relatively large hole 4 therethrough which is asymmetrically located, in this case being somewhat nearer one end of the plate than the other. In feeding these plates to the fastener mechanism it is important thatthe face of each plate from which the lugs 3 project be uppermost when the lates are delivered. It is also important t at the plates be delivered right end foremost, partly because this relationship is necessary to line up the hole 4 properly with the socket member, and partly also to line up the slots 5 with the prongs of the socket member which are to pass through these slots and secure the back plate and socket mem er together. The present mvention makes use both of the lugs or projections 3 and also of the' hole 4 in selecting those fastener plates which are allowed to feed out of the ho'rmer.

The feeding mechanism shown comprises an inclined raceway 6, Figs. 1 and 4, and ahopper which includes rotary bowl 7 and a stationary hopper base 8. Preferably the raceway and'hopper base are made in one piece. The hopper also includes two rings 9 and 10 mounted one above the other and secured together by screws 11, Fig. 1, ,the upper ring 9 being provided with a marginal V, groove or shoulder 12 on which -the lower edgeofthe bowl 7 secured, so thatthe bowl and the rings 9 and rotate in unison.

The lower ring 10 runs in a groove 14 which 1s formed in the hopper base8 and guides the ring for rotation, while the upper ring 9 has flat faces which bear on the upper face 4 them upon the stationary hopper bottom 8 As shown, this so that they slide down across this bottom again toward the inner lower side of the ring 9.

The hopper is provided with a series of guideways through which the fastener plates 2 can escapeby gravity into the raceway 6. idewa is divided into two sections. The rst of -t ese sections 16, best shown in Figs. 7 to 10, inclusive, consists of a slot formed in the lower edge of the ring 9, this slot being slightly'wlder than one of the plates 2 so as to permit these plates to pass freely through it in an endwise direction, but rejectir-gthe plates if they attempt to enter the slots in any other position. Each slot 16 also has a clearance space provided in the upper side only thereof, as clearly shown in Fig. 7, to accommodate the lugs 3. Consequently, if a 'plate2 enters the slot 16'right side up it can freely through this slot or guideway;

a plate, however, cannot enter the slot in an inverted position, as will be obvious from an inspection of Fi 8. This section 16 of the guideway there ore permits the passage onl of plates in an endwise direction and ri 't side up.

eferring to Figs. 1, 9 and 10, it will be observed that the second section 17 of the guideway through the hopper wall is formed between the ad'acent sur aces of the rings 92 and 10. In ot er words, these surfaces of the two rings are so shaped as to provide a series of slots which are, res tively, in alinement with and form contmuations of the slots 16 in the ring 9. For this purose the lower side of the ring 9 has an annuar groove 18 formed therein, Figs. 5, 9 and 10, and the lower rin 10 fits into this groove, as clearly shown in ig. 5, but the latter ring has slots 319, Fig. 1,'cut therethrough at intervals. Projecting upwardly into the middle of each slot. and secured in the ring 10 is a pin 20, Figs. 1, 9 and 10. v This pin is 'slightly smaller'in diameter than the hole 4 in the plate 2. The uppen-surface of this pin is inclined with refere'nie to the axis of the pin so that the edge .21, Fig. 9, of

a hopper.

this surface adjacent to the center of the hopper lies flush with the upper surface of the ring 10, while the opposite edge 22,

Fig. 9, projects upwardly above the surface of the ring. Consequently, when a plate 2 slides through the slot 16 and into the slot 17 it will be deflected upwardly by the inclined surface of the pin 20 into the position indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 10, and its forward end will strike the stop or shoulder 23 at the outer ed e of. the groove 18. If this plate is right en foremost its forward end y will drop down over the edge 22 of the pin, the pin entering the hole 4 in the plate 2. The late then will continue to slide by gravit t rough the slot 17 and will pass comp etely out of the hopper and into the raceway 6. If, however, the plate 2 should be wrong end foremost its forward end would be directed as before, striking the shoulder 23 and it would be stopped in this position and prevented from assing on through to the racewa as will e obvious from an inspection 0 Fig. -9. That is, the pin 20 is so spaced from the sto or shoulder 23 that the pin will enter the ole in each plate as it passes through the guideway, provided the plate is right end foremost, and plates so positioned therefore can pass freely out of the If however, a plate enters the slot wrong end foremost, the pin then cannot enter the hole 4 because the distance between this hole and the end of the plate is greater than the distance between the edge 22 of the in and the shoulder 23 in the guideway. he latter plates, therefore, are efi'ectual y sto ped. is the 1617 an the raceway by mechanism, and

into theraceway 6 they run down -gravity toward the setting t ey are prevented from-cs caping from the raceway by guards 2424, Fig. 1, and also by the fact that the outer edge of the ring 9 overlies the upper curved portion of the raceway. When the raceway becomes filled those lates which cannot escape from the'hopper, ue to the crowded 'condition of the raceway, are simply carried around until they can escape. Any plate discharged at the upper end of the raceway, or carried upwardly in the raceway by'the r0- tation of the bowl, will drop into the upper end of the bypass 25 and slide under the lower ring 10. back into the central part of the hopper. Plates which have entered one of the guideways 1617 wrong end foremost will simply slide back into the central space in the hopper when they arrive at the upper part of the path of revolution of the'bowl. Those plates which are rejected by the guideways are carriedupwardly by the ribs 15 and discharged, sliding down over the upper surface of the stationary hopper bottom 8 toward the.lower sidet'thereof, where they 130 so i slates slide through the guideways may again find entrance into one of the guideways 16-17.

It will now be evident that'the invention provides an exceedingly simple mechanism for feeding fastener plates. The mechanism can be manufactured economically, it is very reliable, and it will give a long period of service without requiring repairs.

While I have herein shown and described the best embodiment of my invention that I have so far devised, it will be evident that the invention may be embodied in other forms without departing from the spirit or $00 e thereof. I V

aving thus described my invention, what I desire to claim as new is: 1. In a mechanism for feedingfastener plates, each of which is provided with a hole nearer one end than the other, a hopper for holding a supply of said plates and provided w1th a guideway through which the plates can esca e from said hopper, ashoulder in said gui eway for stopping said plates, and a pm having an inclined face for directing said plates against said shoulder, said pin being so spaced from said shoulder that it enters the holesin said plates if they are right end foremost and thereby allows them to dodge said shoulder but prevents such dodging if only those they are wrong end foremost.

2. In a mechanism for feeding fastener plates, the combination of an inclined hop per for holding a supply of said plates, an inclined raceway for guidingsaid plates away from said Hopper, said hopper including a rotary bowl, and two annular members at the base of said bowl and rotating therewith, said members being shaped to provide a series of guideways between them through which said plates may pass by gravity from said hopper to the raceway, the inner section of each guideway being shaped to permit the passage only of plates which are right side up and a succeeding section of each guideway including means fixed with relation to each guideway for preventing the passage of plates which are wrong end foremost.

3. In a mechanism for feeding fastener plates, each of which is provided with a hole asymmetrically located-therein, a hopper for holding a supply of said plates, said hopper having a guideway through which said plates can pass by gravity out of the hopper, and said guideway including parts cooperating with the holes in said plates to permit plates to pass which are right end foremost.

,4. In a mechanism for feeding fastener plates, each of which has an asymmetrically located hole therethrough and has projections extending from one face thereof, a hopper for holding a supply of said plates, and parts roviding a guideway for the passage of saidiplates by gravity out of the hopper,

said guideway having a clearance space at one s1de only thereof for the passage of said grojections and having portions arranged to eflect and stop the passage of plates which are wrong end foremost, said portions cooperating with the holes in said plates to permit them to pass through the guideway if theIy are right end foremost.

5. n a mechanism for feeding fastener plates having endportions differing from each other and also provided with dissimilar top and bottom faces, a hopper for bolding a supply of said plates, said hopper having a guideway, and means located in fixed relation to said guideway to permit said plates to pass endwise out of said hopper only when they are right side up and right end foremost.

6. In a mechanism for feeding fastener members, each of which has a hole asymmetrically located therein, an inclined hopper for holding a supply of said members, said hopper having a guideway through which sald members can pass by gravity out of the hopper, said guideway including parts cooperating with the holes in said members to permit only those members to pass which are ri ht end foremost.

I Q In a mechanism for feeding fastener members, each of which has a hole asymmetrically located therein and is also provided with projections extending from one face thereof, a hopper for holding a supply of said members, and parts providing a guideway for the passage of said members by gravity out of the hopper, said guideway having at one side only thereof a clearance space for are permitted to pass from the hopper to the raceway, each of saidguideways having an abrupt stop shoulder therein, and means carried by said bowl and providing an inclined surface for directing certain of said members against said stop shoulder to prevent passa e from said hopper to the raceway.

9. n a mechanism for feeding fastener ;members, a hopper for holding a supply of said members, parts providing a guideway for the passage of said members by gravity out of the hopper, said guideway haying a shoulder in one wall thereof, a pro]ect1on normally extending into said guideway and above the bottom surface thereof, said projection having an inclined u per surface serving to deflect and hold t e fasteners against the shoulder in an angled relation to the passageway, thereby to oppose passage of fasteners when they enter in any ut a predetermined relation, and said rojection be? ing in a fixed position with re erence to said shoulder to provide a clearance permitting fasteners. entering the guideway in a predetermined relationship to pass therethrough.

10. In a mechanism for feeding fastener members, each of which has a hole therethrough located nearer to one end than to the opposlte end, a ho per for holdin a sup 1y of said fastener me lilbers, said hop mr havl iig a guideway through which sald members may pass out of the hopper, and said deway including parts cooperating wit the edge of one of said fastener members and with the hole in said member to emit passage thereof through said gui eway only when it enters the. passageway right end foremost.

MICHAEL M. LYONS, 

